Realisation
by Catty
Summary: It had to happen, really it did.. It was inevitable really, what with his reputation. What he hadn't counted on was his reaction to her.....
1. Chapter 1

Realisation and Progression Chapter 1 

Upon the advice of Mr. Lee, Daniel Allen had gone to the dimly lit and fairly threatening alleyway at two in the morning. He stood waiting in the gloom, waiting for the message that he had been promised. He heard the incoherent mumblings of the apparently comatose drunk who was propped up against the wall a few feet from him, and Daniel moved a few steps further away, wanting to avoid confrontation, especially now, with all of the trouble that he was in. Daniel waited, his patience wearing thin.

When at last his patience wore out, Daniel turned to leave, only to find the drunk from the alley blocking his way. While seated, the drunk had posed no problems to Daniel. After all, the man looked to be out of his mind on drink. Now, however, the man looked faintly threatening, and Daniel thought it best to turn and leave. As he turned though, he felt his shoulder grasped in a surprisingly strong grip.

"Daniel Allen?" a strong and lucid voice asked, and Daniel turned to find a startlingly clear pair of blue eyes staring into his tired eyes. Stunned, Daniel merely nodded.

"I believe you wanted to hire the A-Team?" the drunk continued, peeling off his false wig and wiping his face clean. Daniel's eyes grew wider as the implications of this revelation set in.

"I, er, well I, well yes, but…" he stammered. He turned suddenly as he felt the presence of two more men in the alley around him. He turned, his eyes widening still further at the sight before him. A giant of a man stood there, ebony muscles rippling and encased in gold. To his side stood a handsome young man with a roguish smile on a strong yet charming face.

Hannibal looked at the stunned man standing in front of him and decided to put him out of his misery.

"Mr. Allen, Mr. Lee told me that you've been having some problems, that someone is doing their best to put you out of business?"

"Err, yes. " Daniel glanced nervously at B.A. before continuing." I've run my restaurant for nearly twenty-five years now. It's a family thing, homely, comfortable and relaxed. We do our best for our customers, the food is fresh and friendly, the atmosphere wonderful. And yet, Antonelli wants to shut us down. He's walked all over the rest of the small shops that are around here, they couldn't afford to stand up to him. I think Antonelli wants to build a hotel with a huge casino, a casino of all things. Another in his long line of ways to screw people out of their hard earned money." Daniel stopped, suddenly realising he'd become fairly emotional about the subject.

He looked at the men surrounding him, as they glanced at each other and nodded almost as one.

Daniel turned, as he heard the smooth voice of the ex-drunk.

"Mr. Allen, you've just hired the A-Team. I'm Hannibal Smith, this," he gestured to the large scowling man beside him, "this is B.A. and this is Face" Hannibal said as he turned to the other man in the alley. Face smiled and shook his hand in welcome, cocking his head slightly, as if slightly confused. Hannibal looked at his Lieutenant, raising his eyebrows.

Chapter 2 

"What is it Face?"

"I don't know Hannibal. He's familiar, or at least something is. I can't place it, I just know him from somewhere, or maybe.." his stream of thought was interrupted by the squeak of a mobile phone. Hannibal removed the phone from Daniel's pocket, glancing at the front display.

"Who the hell would be ringing you at 2-40 in the morning?" he asked, as Daniel grabbed the phone and checked the display.

"It's my daughter and if she's ringing, then there must be trouble" Suddenly he was cut off mid-conversation, the call terminated from the other end.

"Amy? Amy?" he cried, getting louder each time. "Oh God, she's only been back for five minutes and she's exhausted. Please God, if anything happens to her" he stopped and Hannibal took the phone from him and propelled him toward the van.

B.A. jumped in and gunned the motor. Daniel gave directions and the A-Team sped towards the Allen restaurant. All this time, Face had stayed silent, with a confused look on his normally comfortable features. Amy? Amy Allen? Face sat silently, thinking things over. It couldn't be Amy. There were bound to be hundreds of Amy Allen's. His Amy was in Jakarta. His Amy? He stopped, and pushed that thought to the back of his mind, unwilling to examine the tide of emotions that that particular thought had created. Amy had left the A-Team the year before when she'd got her promotion and overseas appointment. They'd missed her, she'd been a great asset to the team. Hell, she'd been more than that, she'd been a friend. A good one, maybe even more if things had been different. Again, Face pushed that thought to the back of his head, he'd never really gone down that road, as it had never been a possibility. Still, she was beautiful, funny, vivacious and, he stopped, in Jakarta.

Hannibal glanced at Face, trying to read his normally open Second-In-Command, but finding him surprisingly closed. Before he could question Face any further, they drew up around the corner from the restaurant. Hannibal affected a drunken gait as he stumbled towards the front window, making a racket to cover Face, B.A. and Daniel's entrance to the back of the kitchen. Daniel stayed in the kitchen as the other two took up positions either side of the swinging doors into the restaurant. What Face saw there made him freeze, his sudden cessation of movement making B.A. glance at him and then turn to see what Face had seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 3 

Standing by the tills was a large, somewhat flabby man with an arm wrapped around an angry woman, her body tight with rage, her movements restrained by the mauling she was receiving. His other hand was rifling the till, but what held B.A.'s attention, and Face's anger was the brutal way the ape was rummaging around inside the woman's top, oblivious to her winces of pain. B.A. took in the picture and growled under his breath. It was only when the woman turned her head that they saw that it was Amy who was been held with such force. He heard a sharp hiss of breath from Face and turned in time to catch a variety of emotions chasing each other across the normally amiable Lieutenant's features.

B.A. watched as Face suppressed his emotions, replacing them with a mask of resolute fury. B.A. knew Face well, hell he'd known him for most of his adult life. Face rarely got like this, and when he did, it was best not to be the object of the Lieutenant's anger.

B.A wondered briefly why Face was so upset, but at that moment they got the hidden signal from a babbling Hannibal, who'd resorted to his earlier persona of the drunk in the alleyway. A second thug was sat watching Amy's reactions and holding her mother in place as a witness. Amy's mother was seated in a cubicle near her daughter, wincing as she was forced to watch the degradation that Amy was suffering. The bell on the door jangled as Hannibal stumbled through and landed with surprising nimbleness and grace in the same cubicle. Still posing as the drunk, Hannibal keeled over and landed on top of the startled thug. Amy's mother shrank back further into her skin, getting the fright of her life when the drunk grabbed the gun from her captor, swiftly followed by the appearance of two further men from the kitchen, both armed, and both angry.

They stood in a combat fashion, aiming their guns at the man holding her daughter. Their faces were masks of anger, the large black man a menacing figure, but it was his counterpart that held her attention. The other man stood stock still, his eyes an angry ice blue, the rage in him evident to them all. Hannibal risked a quick glance towards his Lieutenant, noticing the contained anger. He knew Face, knew him well, and knew when something was wrong. And something was wrong, was very wrong. The normally affable Faceman was wound tighter than a sprung coil, his attention captivated by the thug holding the young woman. Hannibal's eyes widened as he took in her identity, realisation gnawing at the very back of his mind. Hannibal pushed those thoughts away, he could deal with them later. The here and now was more important, he had a situation to contain and his Team were poised and ready for his command.

Chapter 4 

Amy's captor had spun around when the A-Team had stormed into the restaurant, but still managed to keep his hands in place. Hell, he'd been enjoying himself. Amy was still struggling against him when the guys had burst in, relief washing over her as she recognised the men causing the commotion. A faint smile began at the corners of her mouth in anticipation of the retribution that was about to occur.

Amy's assailant caught sight of the smile and reached even further inside Amy's top, causing her to wince in pain.

"Enjoying it are you, my lovely?" he leered.

With cold eyes, Face looked at the man who was abusing Amy.

"Take your hand out," he said in a voice seemingly devoid of emotion. Hannibal looked up, this was something new, Face rarely got truly angry, his flat tone a sure indicator that something was seriously wrong. The ape slowly took his hand from the till, his second roving hand seemingly forgotten. Face cocked the handgun he held and took a step closer. His ice-blue eyes bored into the increasingly worried eyes of the man holding Amy.

"I said," he paused," Take your hand out."

As if he had suddenly remembered his other hand, the man roughly let go of Amy and shoved her towards Face. Face caught her, his eyes never leaving those of his opponent. Face held Amy to him for a second, before she moved behind him towards the kitchen and her frantic father. As she passed Face, however, their hands caught, and held, a lifeline linking them until the last moment.

B.A. stepped forward, breaking the spell, forcing the ape towards Hannibal and his prey. Face stood and watched, before turning towards the kitchen. He knew what would happen, Hannibal and B.A would dispose of the two idiots who had dared to go up against loved ones of the A-Team. Face stopped, once again pushing the emotions to the back of his mind. Of course she was a loved one, she was part of the Team. He tried to ignore the small, but insistent voice that prompted him to delve further into his feelings for Amy

In the kitchen, Amy was being held in a deep embrace, her father almost crushing her in his relief, her head buried deep into his shoulders. Daniel looked up as the Lieutenant entered the kitchen, their eyes meeting and evaluating. Daniel had not missed the meeting between Face and his daughter, he had seen the momentary hug and watched as they held hands as if it were a lifeline. He watched the range of emotions flicker across Face, understanding little except the fact that this young man knew his daughter and that Amy knew Face. The depth of that knowledge and the reasons for it were alien to him, but it was enough that he recognised their being.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 5 

Amy looked up to see who her father was looking at and came eye to eye with a familiar pair of smiling, yet worried blue eyes.

"Face" she breathed in relief, loosening her hold on her father. Daniel stood back, nodding slightly as they both looked to him, almost as if asking permission. Without really waiting for an answer, Face swept her into a hug that took her breath away, one she returned with equal fervour, not really knowing where the emotion came from, each chalking it up to relief that she was all right. Eventually they separated, Face taking the chance to check to see that she wasn't truly hurt.

"I'm fine, Face," she said quietly. "Apart from a bruised ego," she paused, looking down in shame and embarrassment," and a few other bruises, I'm fine. Really. They just caught us by surprise, other wise…" she tailed off as Hannibal and the others came in.

Amy's mother was deep in conversation with Hannibal. The journalistic streak that Amy had, was obviously inherited from her mother. Christine had recovered from her ordeal at the hands of her captors and wanted answers, but her concern for her exhausted daughter soon overrode her curiosity. Hannibal cast faintly desperate eyes around the kitchen, finally settling on Amy.

"Ah, excuse me, Mrs. Allen, but I need to speak to Amy for a second." he said, before making his escape and moving towards a now grinning Amy. She knew exactly what her mother was like, it was where she had learnt all of her trade secrets. Christine Allen, however, had other plans, heading Hannibal off before she got anywhere near Amy. She moved over to her daughter.

"Amy sweetheart, you look shattered." She turned towards the others. "Look, why don't we all go home and relax. It's late, very late, we've all had a shock and I need to sit down. We can get some sleep, and you," she turned to Daniel," can explain exactly what on earth is going on and who our saviours are." With that she swept them all out of the kitchen and gave directions to their house.

Chapter 6 

Once at home, Daniel stood in his kitchen watching his wife question Hannibal and the rest of the Team. He stood off to one side, hiding from the questioning that was about to come his way. He and his wife had always been equals, but he had hidden his decision to hire the A-Team from her, wanting to solve their problems himself. She knew little about the proposed hotel and casino, and Amy had known even less, having just arrived back from Indonesia.

He glanced across at his daughter, wondering how she had come to know the A-Team, and by the looks of things know them fairly well. Amy stood leaning against Face, struggling to stay awake. Face had his arm wrapped protectively around her, he was almost propping her up. Daniel watched Face, the young man's emotions very close to the surface. Face looked up and caught Daniel's eye, and smiled softly before he closed his emotions behind a mask of amiability. Daniel watched as Face hid the way that he felt about Amy, hid it before Daniel could really recognise what he was seeing. Almost asleep, Amy turned and cuddled into Face as he subconsciously tightened his hold on her. The movement drew Hannibal and Christine's attention to them. Hannibal's eyebrows raised and Christine rushed over to the young couple.

"Amy sweetheart, come on darling, you're almost asleep. Let's get you to bed, come on now." she said and began to usher Amy away. Half asleep, Amy held onto Face and he turned and walked Amy to her room, following behind Christine. Hannibal, B.A. and Daniel stayed behind in the kitchen, detailing plans for guarding the house for the rest of the night.

In her room, Amy curled up, almost completely asleep. She had removed her jeans and shoes, but apart from that had just crashed out on the bed. Christine drew the covers over her, and stood watching her for a few moments before turning to the young man that had supported and saved her daughter.

Christine looked deep into Face's blue eyes and again he tried to hide his feelings. She was apparently satisfied by what she saw there, because she smiled softly, quietly murmuring "Thank-you". She smiled again and left the room. Face turned to follow her, when a soft whisper from the bed stopped him.

"Thank-you from me too" Amy said sleepily, reaching out to capture his hand in hers. Without really knowing what he was doing, Face reached down and softly kissed her on the cheek. He stood and smiled at her, watching as she finally fell asleep. He gently shut the door and made his way down the corridor towards the others. A quiet voice stopped him in his tracks.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 7 

"Want to talk about it?"

Face looked over at Hannibal and they went and sat in the dimly lit lounge. However much Face wanted to keep his feelings to himself, he knew that Hannibal would worm them out of him sooner or later, and so he decided to get it over and done with. Who knows, maybe an extra pair of ears could help. Then again, if Face didn't understand, how on earth could Hannibal? Face took a deep breath and began.

"I, er, I don't know what to say Hannibal. It was just a shock to see her again, especially as she told me in her last e-mail that she might have to stay on for another ten days or so."

"E-mail? You two have been writing?" asked the Colonel.

"Well, ah, yes, "confessed Face. "She really was thrilled to get the posting to Jakarta, she was just as scared about actually doing it. Scared about leaving the States and her family. And about leaving us. But she didn't want anyone to know that, so when we went out to dinner just before she left, we came up with a plan to keep in touch, and we've been writing ever since." He looked over at Hannibal.

" She didn't want me to tell you lot, because she thought it might get in the way of our work. And she was a little embarrassed about you seeing her so, well, vulnerable I guess."

Hannibal stored away the fact that Amy and Face had been meeting up for dinner, focussing on how well the Lieutenant seemed to know the roving reporter.

"Embarrassed?"

"Well, she was the strong spirited one, indefatigable, unbeatable, and here she was, scared? Hannibal, she didn't want you guys to see her that way."

"But she didn't mind you knowing?" Hannibal glanced up at his Second-In–Command, watching him as he turned and looked out of the window. Face turned and spoke over his shoulder.

"No, she didn't mind me. We were getting on really well then. We were really good friends and she knew that if she needed me, I'd be there in a heartbeat. She only had to ask, and she did. Actually it was Murdock's idea, although he knows nothing about this. " Face smiled at the memory, "He was obsessed about computers knowing everything about everyone, about them getting messages anywhere and everywhere. Amy and I just looked at each other and our problem was solved. Murdock had found a way for us to be together, even if we were thousands of miles apart." Face stopped, his mind full of memories.

Chapter 8 

By now Hannibal was almost staring at Face, wondering if he realised what he had just said, what he had just revealed. Hannibal watched as the memories flashed across his friend's features. Face had just revealed an obviously closely guarded secret between himself and Amy, but Hannibal didn't want to question him too far just yet. He could see that Face was confused and vulnerable, and decided to leave it at that. What he was sure of was that before she had left, there had been some pretty serious feelings between Face and Amy, but Hannibal was pretty sure that nothing had actually happened. The emotions had been there, but they had not acted upon them, perhaps not understood them. They sat in silence for a few moments, until Daniel came to find them.

"Here you are," he said, "I was wondering where you had got to. The arrangements are ready, B.A. has first watch and is fully stocked up with snacks and milk." He stopped and looked closely at the two men, wondering what they had been talking about. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

Face turned and smiled at Amy's father.

"No Daniel, of course not. Just going over some stuff." He said, glancing at Hannibal. Years of friendship allowed Hannibal to read Face's mute plea, 'give me some time, please don't say anything yet'. Face had come to realise that he had said more than he had wanted to, and was begging Hannibal to keep his confidence. Hannibal turned to Daniel.

"Yep, just putting some of the finishing touches to my plan." He said, with a muttered aside to Face. "You do realise that I've got to think of a plan now, don't you Lieutenant!" Face smiled slightly at him, as they followed Daniel down the hall.

Hannibal lay wide awake in the spare room, his mind refusing to let the day's events recede. The relationship between Face and Amy claimed priority, for he was convinced now that Face was in love with Amy. The way that he had reacted when he'd seen Amy in danger, the way that he'd held her when she was half asleep, the look in his eyes when he'd been watching her. Hannibal knew that Face loved her, even if Face didn't. Anyway, how about the other part of the equation? How about Amy? What did she feel about Face? From what Face had said, Hannibal knew that she cared about the Lieutenant but was that it? Was Face about to have his heart broken? Hannibal finally fell asleep at 4-00 am.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 9 

In the lounge, Face was sleeping draped over the edges of a fairly comfortable couch. A soft footfall woke him instantly, and he smiled as he saw the owner. Amy was creeping into the kitchen, and had flicked the switch to make an early coffee. She jumped as Face appeared behind her.

"Morning" she whispered, a smile lighting up her brown eyes. "I'm still on Indonesian time. My sleep patterns are shot to hell at the moment." She reached up and rubbed at her neck. "and I'm still really stiff from that awful flight." She turned and made two coffees handing Face his as they sat down.

"I'm right aren't I?" she said as he took a sip. "I'd never forget, black and one sugar, just like me", she smiled into his eyes, rubbing her neck again. Face smiled back and rose, moving to stand behind her. He softly massaged her neck, the strong smooth movements causing Amy to smile and sigh in relief. She tilted her head back and smiled up at him.

"You're good Face, you know that? Your hands feel very good."

He smiled and went to sit down again. Amy grabbed his hand,

"Oh no you don't, get back up there and give me some more" she said, putting his hands back in place. Face grinned and re-commenced his neck-rub. Eventually he began to feel Amy's muscles relax and, as a smile passed between them, he sat down.

"It's good to see you Amy," he said quietly. "I, we "he corrected himself," we missed you. "

Amy looked at him, her heart leaping with joy at the slip.

"I missed you too," she confessed, standing up and going to make them some fresh coffee. Face stood and moved beside her. His mind was in turmoil. He had lain awake the night before, thinking about her, how much he'd missed her, how he felt when he'd seen her in pain and most of all, how he'd felt when he'd been able to hold her in the safety of the kitchen.

He knew he cared about her, hell he'd always known that. She was a friend. But last night he'd begun to realise that she meant more to him than just a friend. Face realised that he cared deeply about the beautiful, tired woman who stood before him. Without thinking, he reached over and took her in his arms, holding her tightly. Amy, surprised by the move, reached up and wrapped her arms around him in return, burying her head in the crook of his neck, suddenly realising just how much she'd missed being held like this.

Chapter 10 

Amy stood and held on to him for dear life. While she'd come to regard the Team as family, Face had always been different. Hannibal had been the eccentric uncle, erratic, mischievous and exhilarating. B.A. was like an older brother, grumpy but loyal. Murdock made her smile. He was like a whirlwind, never stopping in one place and yet always available. They'd had some very long and interesting talks over the years, talks that started on one subject and yet managed to incorporate a whole new meaning to life by the time they had finished.

That left Face. Face the charmer, Face the womaniser, Face the scammer, and yet Amy had come to see a different side to him, a side that she believed not many people ever saw. The Face that Amy had seen had been kind, strong, loyal and innately open. Amy felt that she knew him better than all of the others, and yet they had never really been as close as she had with the rest of the Team. It was as if she had a different kind of relationship with Face, that he was more than family.

Amy stopped herself. She didn't want to analyse this too much, that was getting to be a very bad habit of hers. Amy snuggled deeper into the hug, not wanting it to end. Face tightened his hold on her, breathing in her scent, knowing that they had turned a corner, but had only found a maze ahead.

A sound from the depths of the house alerted them to movement and they reluctantly moved apart. Not a word had been said in the minutes that they had held each other, and yet a thousand feelings had been revealed.

Amy smiled hesitantly at Face, who returned the smile, leaning in to kiss her softly on the forehead.

"Later, sweetheart. I get the feeling that we've got a lot to talk about" he said.

Amy watched him move back to the couch, her arms hugged tightly around her, a warm and securely happy feeling enveloping her very soul. Face lay down, his insides churning, fighting to keep the huge smile from breaking out all over his face. His resistance weakening, he took one last glimpse of her and found her peeking at him, a huge grin plastered across her face. Face understood it all now. He loved Amy. The thought rattled around in his head. I love her. I love Amy. And she loves me. At least I think she does. No, I know she does. Doesn't she? He risked another glance in her direction, only to be met by a pair of excited brown eyes. Amy read his expression and nodded, grinning at him. Risking exposing them, she crept across the lounge and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Me too!" she whispered, her grin impossibly widening as she crept back to her room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 11 

Daniel had always been an early riser and now, as he walked down the corridor towards the kitchen, he was sure that he had heard his daughter's bedroom door softly click shut. Thinking no more of it, he went into the lounge to see the sleeping form of the young Lieutenant. Had he looked closely, he would have seen Face desperately trying to hide his smile, as he turned and faked the illusion of sleep. Daniel walked into the kitchen, spotting the two empty mugs on the table, and catching the aroma of fresh coffee. He picked up the still warm mugs and placed them in the sink. Turning towards the lounge he watched the supposedly sleeping form of the Lieutenant and thought about the closing door he had seen as he came into the kitchen.

He turned and made yet more coffee and made his way over to Face. Tapping him gently on the shoulder, he offered Face a mug of coffee as he put on the façade of groggily waking up.

"More coffee, Face?" Daniel asked.

Face sat up and faced Amy's father. He knew he'd been caught out. They had forgotten about the coffee. Already their relationship had caused him to make a mistake. For their sake, he would have to be more careful. He wanted it all, he needed to be with Amy, and yet he would not relinquish his place on the A-Team. He vowed to himself to find a way to have both. Daniel watched him.

"Be careful with my daughter. Look after her. "

Face looked at him, as they sat on the couch.

"Always" he said. "Always, Daniel."

Chapter 12 

Hannibal strode into the lounge, breaking the spell. Daniel looked up and smiled at the Colonel.

"Coffee?" he asked, moving into the kitchen ready to make some more. Hannibal sat down next to Face. Something had happened, Hannibal had known Face for far too long not to read the Lieutenant. Face was positively glowing. Hannibal glanced towards the kitchen.

"What's happened?" he whispered. "Have you talked to her?" Face's blue eyes met Hannibal's. He decided to own up.

"Yes. We talked. We need to talk some more, but we talked. It's all right Hannibal. We're fine." He looked up as Amy came in.

Her gaze immediately went to the two men seated on the couch. One set of blue eyes met hers with a grin, the other pair of blue eyes looked at her, speculating the future. Hannibal stood and hugged her briefly.

"Welcome back, kid" he said, and walked into the kitchen.

Amy looked down at Face. She sat beside him and crossed her legs comfortably, tucking her feet under his blanket.

"He knows?"

"He knows there's something between us. He knows about as much as we do." said Face quietly, reaching out to hold her hand, smiling as he felt her hold it tightly.

"I missed you while I was in Jakarta. Your e-mails were the only thing that kept me sane. I had to go, you know that, but leaving you and the others was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." She stopped, willing herself to go on and to reveal herself, knowing subconsciously that she'd gain the response she needed.

" I like you Face, I like you a lot, and I know it's going to be difficult, but I can't, - I can't not tell you. When I saw you last night, I knew I was safe. Even when that idiot was groping me, ", she felt Face stiffen and held his hand even tighter, " even then, I knew I would be fine, because you were there. I trusted you and you were there. Not that I couldn't have saved myself, of course," she grinned defiantly. Face grinned back at her and with a glance at the kitchen, pulled her in for a swift kiss.

"I like you too Amy." he said, holding her hand tightly, "and if we're careful and" he glanced at the kitchen, where he saw Hannibal watching them " honest, I reckon we can do this."

Releasing her hand, he stood up. "But now I have to shower, and I believe we have some work to do."

Amy stood as well. Poking fun at Face, she held her nose and said, "Yes, I'm coming to the conclusion that that would be a good idea. A very good idea!" and she ducked as Face flung a pillow at her.

After another quick hug, he went down to the bathroom and they soon heard the sound of the shower, the muffled words of "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine" just about reaching them.

Chapter 13 

Amy wandered into the kitchen and sat at the table with her father and Hannibal. She smiled at the two men, two of the most important men in her life.

"It's OK, guys, I'm fine. Everything's fine."

"OK Amy. Just, " Hannibal stopped, not really knowing what he wanted to say, or how to say it. Amy looked over at him.

"Hannibal, how long have I known you guys? How long have I worked with you guys? " She felt her father's eyebrows raise, " I know the rules. I know why the rules. And " she stopped, looking from one to the other, "I know I love Face." It was the first time she had said it out loud and she blushed, but forced herself to continue. "We can do this. We can beat the rules. Face and I can beat the rules. We have to, Hannibal."

Hannibal looked deeply into her brown eyes, registering the determination, mirroring the determination he'd seen in Face's clear blue eyes as they had talked briefly on the couch.

"You know I'll have to talk to B.A. and Murdock."

Amy nodded, knowing that the two other members of the A-Team wouldn't object. She knew that this had been coming for a long time, she'd felt the undercurrents just as they had. Hannibal stood and moved out of the kitchen, going to find B.A.

Amy sat deep in thought, her finger absently twirling the top of the coffee mug. As she came out of her reverie, she became aware of her father watching her.

"So?"

"Daddy, I guess I need to talk to you and Mum." She said.

"Slight understatement that, my dear. You're a member of the A-Team? And you and Face? What, when, where?"

Christine's eyes widened as he entered the kitchen and caught her husband's last remark. She sat down at the table and looked at her daughter. Well, she thought, that would explain the Lieutenant's reactions last night, and would also explain Amy's erratic lifestyle in the previous two and a half years. But their daughter a member of The A-Team?

B.A. and Hannibal came in and caught the tone of the atmosphere. Without stopping they both turned, as if to leave again.

"Oh no you don't," said Amy, catching hold of both men. They reluctantly sat down, preparing themselves for the grilling that was to come. Amy took a deep breath and began.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 14 

"Mum, just over two and a half years ago, I hired the A-Team to find Dan Massey. Remember Dan?" her parents nodded, Dan had been Amy's mentor when she had first started writing for the L.A. Courier. "They were good, very good. I weaselled my way into going with them and somehow I never really left. They put up with me, I was the information broker and occasional team member." She felt Hannibal's eyes on her.

A voice in the corridor caught their attention.

"Where IS everyone?" Face walked into the kitchen rubbing his hair dry with a hand towel. Five pairs of eyes turned to look at him. He sought out one pair and read their appeal for support. Face moved around the room to stand behind Amy, placing a hand on her shoulder, absently rubbing the back of her neck. She looked up at him and smiled softly.

B.A.'s eyes widened at the touch, but he said nothing. Face's reactions last night began to make sense for B.A. He glanced over to Hannibal, who nodded, reading the unspoken question. B.A. smiled. So Face had done it. He'd told Amy how he felt and it looked like she felt the same way. B.A. had always thought something was up between them; they were too compatible not to get together.

He'd never said anything, preferring to leave it to them, but when she had left the country he thought Face had lost his chance. It seemed that he had been wrong.

Face was watching B.A., and smiled in relief when he saw the acceptance in his friend's body language. They at least had his support then. Face glanced at Hannibal, and grinned when he caught the slight nod that Hannibal gave. Two out of three then. That left Murdock, and he could see no problem there, Murdock loved Amy almost as much as he did, she and Murdock had always had a close friendship.

So the A-Team could accept a relationship between Amy and himself. But what about her parents? What would they think of them? And would they accept her being an A-Team member? He drew his attention back to the present and dragged a chair from the lounge to the kitchen. He automatically placed it next to Amy and sat down. Hannibal was talking.

Chapter 15 

"Amy, there's more to it than that. Yes, you wormed your way into your first mission," he grinned when he saw Amy's indignant expression, "but since that you've become a valued member of our Team. Valued by some of us a lot more than the rest of us," he said, with a glance at a blushing Face. Hannibal laughed, boy had his Lieutenant got it bad! Hannibal continued," You're a quick learner and prepared to practice. You've worked hard and we're pleased to have you on board. Even if you did slope off to foreign climes."

Amy looked at Hannibal. This was the most praise he had ever afforded her. She knew she was a member of the Team, but she had never really known of her value. Her face glowed with pride, an expression that neither parent missed. They had also caught the emotions that passed between her and Face, both seeing the power of those emotions and knowing their daughter, they knew that she was in love. Daniel turned to Amy.

"So you're part of the A-Team. "

"Well I was, before Jakarta. Now,", she tailed off before Hannibal interrupted, glancing from a nodding B.A. to an obviously accepting Face,

" You still are, Amy. I would have thought that much was obvious. You're still a valued member, like I said before. Besides," he glanced at Face, a mischievous glint in his bright blue eyes, "I think I'd be lynched (pardon the pun), if I said no!"

Christine turned to her husband and a long look passed between them. Amy had always been a spirited girl, with a strong sense of what was right. From what they had heard about the A-Team, they believed she'd fit right in. There was only one problem. Daniel was the first to voice it.

"I can see that our daughter is obviously deeply involved with you all, but" he held up a hand to silence the incoming protest that he could see Amy was about to make, "but you are wanted men. How do we know Amy will be safe with you? How do we know that she won't join you as a criminal in the eyes of the law?"

"You don't" said Hannibal. "In fact, the Army were already becoming a little suspicious, but then you took off for Jakarta." He said, smiling at Amy. "But we look out for each other. We've been doing this for more years than I care to remember, and none of us have ever had any real injuries or ever been caught. We are innocent of the charges that the Army have brought against us. Totally innocent and we WILL prove that, eventually. But until then, we do our best to stay out of the way of the M.P.'s. "

Christine's eyes widened at this, something that Hannibal couldn't fail to miss." "Christine, listen. We love Amy, some of us more than others. " Face reached out and held Amy's hand. "As I said, we look out for each other and protect each other. We're good together. The four of us have perfected our skills over the years, and Amy is a fast learner. " he stopped and looked over to Amy.

"Mum, Dad, " she began and stopped. Face squeezed her hand in support. "I'm sorry for not telling you about all of this before. I couldn't. Not because I didn't want to, it's just that I wanted to keep you out of it. I'm proud to be part of the A-Team, don't doubt that, but I wanted to keep you out of it in case the Army caught up with you. I had a great time in Jakarta, but I missed these guys and to be honest, I missed the missions. I'm part of the A-Team. We help people, we right wrongs," she paused, "we sound like cartoon characters!" Everyone laughed, and she finished, "we make a difference and I'm proud of that. Plus, "she held on tightly to Face, "plus I get to be around Face. Which brings me to the other thing."

"Oh, you needn't worry about that one sweetheart," said her mother. "That one's pretty obvious. I just hope you'll be happy together."

"And you, " Daniel turned to Face, "do you love my daughter? Really love her, I mean? As in protect and cherish, look out for and adore? Can you promise us that you'll never hurt her and that you'll always be there for her?"

Chapter 16 

Face looked slightly shocked at this outburst, but never let go of Amy's hand. He looked round the table at Hannibal. B.A, Christine and a trembling Amy, finally coming back to meet Daniel's eyes.

"Yes, yes I do. " he said, quietly but with great certainty. He felt Amy breathe again, and wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close. He looked at her, a look that spoke volumes, a look of love and adoration. He saw his look mirrored in a gaze of her own, a gaze so full of love that he smiled and kissed her softly. It was a kiss of ownership, a kiss of relinquishment, they had given their hearts to one another in front of their families. Watching this interchange, Daniel and Christine exchanged another long look of their own and a decision was formed within that look. Daniel turned to Hannibal.

"So," he paused, the atmosphere in the room vibrant and tense. "So" he continued, "How is the A-Team going to stop Mr. Antonelli then? Amy, any ideas?"

Amy stood up and went over and hugged her parents.

"Thank-you Dad, Mum. We won't let you down, will we guys?" she turned to her fellow Team members. Face also stood, going over to shake Daniel's hand. Christine stood and hugged Face, while Amy watched and then turned to Hannibal.

"So, what's the plan then Colonel?"

Chapter 17 

Face tugged at his collar, flattering the young nurse who stood at the Reception desk at the V.A. hospital.

"You really have the most beautiful eyes, my dear. In fact, if I didn't have to whisk Mr.,ah, " he paused and consulted his chart, "Mr. Murdock away for these silly tests, then you and I could spend some quality time together" he finished leaning over the desk and looking deeply into the nurse's eyes. A soft snort of laughter caused him to glance sideways at Amy, who rolled her eyes in disbelief. He was good, this love of hers. He could make anyone believe anything. Face looked at her and smiled.

"Yes of course, Nurse Smogg. I understand, we must get going." His shoulders shook slightly with laughter as he registered Amy's recognition of the name he'd given her. He turned to the young nurse.

"So? Mr. Murdock?"

They followed the nurse down the corridor, Face wincing in mock agony as Amy thumped him and mouthed 'Smogg???'. His shoulders shook with silent laughter and he captured Amy's hand in his, squeezing it softly, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. As they reached Murdock's room, they composed themselves and resorted to the charade that they had set up.

"Ah, this is it then? Mr. Murdock's room?"

The nurse nodded.

"Thank-you then, Nurse. We can take it from here,". They watched as she returned to the Reception desk.

"Smogg? Smogg?!" Amy asked, as they went into Murdock's room. Murdock was watching T.V., singing along with one of the ads. Except that the T.V. wasn't switched on.

"Murdock? Look what I've brought you!" said Face earning himself another thump.

"Hey! At this rate I'll be black and blue!" he laughed, his eyes sparkling and radiant. Murdock turned to greet his friend, his eyes widening as he saw who was with him.

"Amy! "he squealed, "Triple A!! When d'you get back? What are you doing here? Why d'you look so happy? Where are we going? What are we doing? Why am I asking all these questions?"

"Shut up Murdock and get into the chair," said Face, and they wheeled him out of the hospital and into Face's 'vette. As they sped away, Murdock stared closely at Face.

"Something's happened. What's happened?"

Face and Amy exchanged smiling glances, something that Murdock took great notice of. An idea began forming in the back of his mind. He stared at Face.

"Stop it Murdock, that's getting kind of creepy, you know," said Face uncomfortably.

"Hmmmm. Ze clues, zey are all zere, methinks" said Murdock in his best Poirot voice. "Let me zee zen. Ze Faceman, he is all shiny unt happy," he said, climbing over the front seat to closely examine Face. Face swerved, alarmed at the sudden movement. Amy swatted Murdock back into the rear seat.

Murdock turned his attentions to Amy.

"And ze Amy, ze returning vanderer, she ist here, unt she is shiny unt happy too." It was Amy's turn to be carefully scrutinised and again she swatted Murdock away. Face groaned and pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"Ok Murdock." Face turned the engine off and turned to face his best friend. He glanced at Amy, who smiled. As he opened his mouth to tell Murdock about himself and Amy, Murdock let out a squeal and jumped out of the car, hopping in circles on the pavement.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 18 

"Oh wow, oh wow," he kept repeating.

"MURDOCK!!" they shouted, pulling him back into the car.

"You did it Facey!!!!"

"Did what? " asked Face, still trying to calm Murdock down.

"You told her" whispered Murdock, in an offside dramatic stage whisper.

"I told her?" Face repeated, thoroughly bemused.

"Yeah, man, you told her that you love her!"

Face and Amy stared at him.

"Well yes, I did, I mean I do love her, but how did you know? I mean we only talked last night, well, this morning really, but you weren't there. How do you know?" By now Face was completely confused. Murdock looked over at Amy and dropped all pretences.

"Face, you've been in love with Amy for as long as we've known her. You didn't know, she didn't know, but I did. You just needed to grow into it. Think about it man, you've always been protective, you've always put her first and you always stood up for her. You always made sure she was fine after a mission, even if you were draped over the nearest leggy blonde. She always came first for you. " Face looked at him, and then at Amy. She was looking at Murdock, stunned, a small contented smile beginning to play around the corner of hr mouth. She drew her eyes back to Face. His eyes were beginning to dawn with the realisation that Murdock was right. He'd always loved Amy, always would. Amy smiled softly at him, only to be interrupted by Murdock.

"Oh and you're not getting away so easily Triple A!"

Face reached over and intertwined his fingers with Amy's, grinning and leaning in to kiss her on the tip of her nose.

"Yep, babe" he grinned evilly. "Your turn!"

Murdock watched the two of them. He'd always known this would happen; it had never been a question of 'if' rather of 'when'. Like B.A., Murdock had worried that Face had lost his chance when Amy had gone to Indonesia, but unlike B.A. Murdock had known that they eventually would be together and now his dreams for his best friends had come true. He turned and smiled at Amy.

"You, my dear, have always been partial to Facey here, whether you knew it or not. You followed him with your eyes and cared for the inside of him, when the outside could have been seen to present a rather less than appealing image. " At Face's raised eyebrows, Murdock explained" Sorry, what I mean is you cared for him even when he was chasing the ladies and treating you as a friend. It was obvious to one such as I, schooled in the art of psychiatry that you were nuts about him!" Amy groaned at his joke and made an admission of her own. She looked at Face.

"Well, actually, he's err, not that far off, really. Sort of."

Chapter 19 

Face turned his blue eyes on her, grinning insanely. So, she'd always been attracted to him then? Amy had had plenty of practice at reading his expression and knew exactly what he was thinking. She reached over and thumped him on the shoulder. He grimaced in mock agony, just as he had done in the hospital corridor.

"OY! You see that Murdock? One day of knowing she's the love of my life and she wants to beat me up? What does that say about us then?" Amy glowed at his reference to her as the love of his life. Jeez, she loved Face. Their eyes met and he leaned in for another swift kiss.

Murdock grinned evilly. He raised his eyebrows.

"That, my dear boy, makes you ", he paused and leaned out of reach, "Kinky!!" he cackled, giggling hysterically at Amy's immediate crimson blush and wincing himself at Face's thump on the shoulder.

"So. Can I drive then?" said Murdock, leaving Amy and Face gaping at the sudden change in direction. Saying nothing, Face got out of the front and surrendered the driving seat to Murdock.

Stunned, Murdock sat down, feeling the smooth leather seats and the fascinating dashboard. Face must have it bad to surrender the 'vette so easily. He smiled as Face pulled Amy over and into the back seat with him. She grinned and curled into him. They gave Murdock directions to Amy's house, Amy holding Face tightly as she stopped him from wrestling control from Murdock when the car pulled away in a series of Kangaroo hops.

"Murdock!!" Face whined at him. "Take care of my car"

Amy turned to him and whispered, "Sod the car Face, why don't you take care of me?" and she leaned in and caught his lips in a soul-searing kiss. Murdock glanced into the rear-view mirror and grinned.

Breaking the kiss, Amy looked deep into Face's eyes.

"Happy?" she asked.

"Delirious" he said. "I love you Amy"

Amy's heart glowed. She looked at him closely, as if considering how to say something.

Chapter 20 

"I love you too, but,"

"What?" asked Face.

"It's just, " she stopped

Face's eyes bored into her, looking almost into her very soul.

"It's just that we'll be on probation, or something like that. Hannibal will be watching every move we make. We can't let 'us' get in the way of our work. We've got to work something out"

Face interrupted her, "I know what you mean. I've always believed in what we do, and I still do. I've never really looked at it like it was a job. But then again, I've never really been in love, apart from, " he stopped, looking sideways at her. Amy finished the sentence for him, "apart from Leslie. And you still love her, of course you do. We all hold a special place for first love. Don't worry, Face, I understand, she was a part of you life. She's part of your history."

"And you're my future and we need to make a way of both parts of our lives working. Maybe we could try it as if our work for the Team is a job, that we go home to each other after that. Not that the team is a job, but you know what I mean, don't you?"

"Best friends while we work, up to us on personal time, that it?"

Amy smiled and Face leaned in again, pulling her into a long, passionate kiss. Amy held him tight, loving him with all of her soul, holding him tighter when he began to struggle against her as Murdock ground the gears of the 'vette with a horrible scrunching sound. Amy looked up and met Murdock's worried eyes in the rear view mirror. She kissed Face again, taking his mind off the fact that his treasured car was being murdered. She looked up and met Murdock's eyes again, this time they held a grateful glow as he realised Amy had found an extremely pleasurable way of taking his friend's mind off the treatment of the car. Face kissed Amy without inhibition, and Murdock grinned, making the most of the chance to get the car to the Allen home in one slightly shuddery piece.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 21 

Back at the house, Hannibal's plan was ready. B.A. had a tiny bug that Amy was going to plant on Mr. Antonelli. Hannibal and B.A. would listen from the van and collect enough information to bring him down. Antonelli always had been unable to keep his plans quiet, he liked to brag about his work, and this would prove to be his downfall. Hannibal heard the car draw up and he peered out of the window at the hesitant sound of a Corvette being badly parked.

Hannibal stared, the car was Face's pride and joy, what on Earth was he doing to it? Everything was explained when Murdock got out of the driving seat looking very nervous, followed by a furious Face, being held back by a laughing Amy. Hannibal smiled as Murdock ran quickly up the path, launching the keys into mid-air over his shoulder in a bid to deter Face.

Face reached up in the air, deftly catching the keys. Amy held his other hand, and so his progress towards throttling Murdock was halted. Amy pulled Face into a hug, laying his head on her shoulder, stroking the back of his head in sympathy for the poor mistreated car, at the same time waving Murdock away safely with a thumbs up and a huge grin. Murdock's grin was equally huge. Deep into Amy's shoulder, she heard Face murmur. She raised his head and looked innocently into his blue eyes.

"I said," he paused for effect, "don't think I don't know what you're up to. I will have my revenge. I will have my wicked way with you"

"Is that a promise?" she asked, kissing him quickly but surely, and then ran into the house to sit beside Hannibal on the sofa. Hannibal laughed, as Face ran in looking for Murdock.

"Where is he?" he asked, glaring at Hannibal and Amy in mock fury.

"Wouldn't know, Lieutenant." Said Hannibal, deadpan. B.A., however gleefully revealed the whereabouts of the hiding Captain and helped Face hoist him up.

"What did you do to my car?" asked Face in a strangled tone. Amy stood up and reached up to stroke his face. She tangled her fingers in his blonde hair and pulled him down for a quick peck on the lips. Her movements caused him to loosen her grip on Murdock, who slid out of Face's grip and moved quickly over to the other side of the Colonel.

"Amy, Amy, Amy, you will pay for that, my sweet," said Face, as they settled on the couch, his arm wrapped tightly around her, as she burrowed tightly into his hug. The others sat down, Christine and Daniel watching from the doorway.

Hannibal cleared his throat, ready to tell the others of his plan to defeat Antonelli. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Face and Amy gently and surreptitiously untwine, settling themselves ready to work as members of the A-Team. Inwardly, he released an unconscious sigh. He'd known that they couldn't carry a relationship while they worked, the mechanics of the A-Team in action depended on individuals working as a team, as a whole team, not as individuals solely concerned with the welfare of one team member. Everyone had to look out for each other in equal measure.

Chapter 22 

Face caught his eye and smiled, reading his Colonel's mind. He looked at Amy, and stood up.

"Hannibal, before you start, Amy and I want to try to explain something, if that's ok." Hannibal nodded, and Face continued. "We talked on the way over here. We don't want to disrupt the way we work, so we decided to try to" he stopped, not sure of how to put it. Amy took up the explanation. "Neither of us treats the work we do with the A-Team as a job. We know the difference we make and the importance of the things we do. What Face and I want is to separate the things we do from our 'off' time. We will do the best we can for everyone and everything and not let our relationship get in the way of that, but we also need some downtime to ourselves. Does that make sense?"

Hannibal, B.A. and Murdock nodded, and Face sat down, the relief in his eyes evident, as was the smile on everyone's faces.

Across town, in an over furnished office, a small swarthy man sat behind an ornate mahogany desk. He pored over a set of blueprints, his mind greedily reaping the profits of his plan. The money would come rolling in, the suckers that made up America's gambling fraternity would come in their thousands and he would be the only real winner. The casino would be rigged, of course, and he would become a billionaire. The hotel would be lavish and enticing, and his victims would come and be truly fleeced in style. His greedy grin widened, his concentration faltering as McTeague, his second in command entered the office.

"I knocked Boss, but"

"Tell me it's all coming together. That lousy restaurant, it's ours, right?"

McTeague hesitated just long enough to cause his boss to explode with anger.

"What? What happened you moron? A small restaurant, an old couple and you can't even sort that out? Offer more money, remove them, I don't want to know how. Just get it sorted. Kill them if you have to. I want that land and I will have it."

A knock at the door interrupted them. Antonelli's long-suffering secretary poked her head around the door.

Chapter 23 

"Ah, sir, there's a" she looked at someone behind her, " young lady to see you"

Antonelli's ears pricked up. Ladies were always something he liked to see, the younger the better.

"Show her in Milly." He almost licked his lips. "Show her in"

He was not disappointed by the vision that entered his office. Amy was dressed in a short PVC skirt, with a laced PVC bodice that almost covered her cleavage. She carried a large bag, and strode across the office pulling out a stereo and placing it on the desk.

"Well hello honey, "she drawled, praying her voice wouldn't shake. She had been adamant about playing her part in the plan, but now worries began to creep up on her. She took out a bag of gum and chomped on a stick before starting her act. She hoped Face wouldn't be too long. Strains of Celine Dion began to filter into the office as Amy sang along with the song, her voice badly out of key as she chewed the gum, desperately trying to achieve the image of a nervous trainee singagram girl.

Antonelli winced at the sound, preferring to concentrate on the sight before him. Despite how she sounded this girl was a looker. He grinned, plans beginning to formulate, plans that involved this girl, a bed and the notable absence of any clothing.

His daydreaming was rudely interrupted by an angry young man, wearing a blazer with 'McCafferty's Singagrams' emblazoned across his back. He entered the room and strode over to the young lady, gathering up the stereo and her bag.

"Cindy-Lou! Don't you ever listen girl? Ant**A**nelli's, not Ant**O**nelli! Honestly, you're going to get me fired! The boss only took you on 'cos you're my sister." The young man turned to the irate Italian, going over and standing beside him. He leaned down to Antonelli, somehow managing to make him feel slightly inadequate. "I'm real sorry sir, she's new and somewhat stupid" his last comment directed at the young woman.

Chapter 24 

"Why Bobby-Joe, that's a horrible thing to say, y'all better take that back!" she said as she packed her gear together and moved towards the door. The young man met her there and they left the office arguing. Antonelli and Mc Teague stood and watched, neither noticing the discarded bag of chewing gum that Face had managed to drop in the bin by the desk.

The rest of the Team watched in admiration as Amy got into the van. Amy blushed as she got changed behind a strategically placed towel that Face held up for her, the PVC peeling away from her flushed skin.

"So?" she asked, seeking Hannibal's approval.

"You did fine, Amy, " he smiled, as B.A. swivelled round from the front seat and gave them the thumbs up, the bug in the bag in the bin clearly catching the voices of the two men in the office.

"Antonelli's sure got a big mouth! " he grinned, "Dude don't know when to shut up!"

Unbeknownst to Antonelli and McTeague, the A-Team gathered enough information to jail Antonelli and his crew for a long, long time. A relieved Amy sat next to Face in the back of the van, fighting the urge to reach over and hold his hand. He glanced over at her and smiled softly, his eyes conveying his happiness and her smile met and matched his. It would work; they could work together and be in love. He felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He glanced back at the rest of the Team, catching Hannibal's eye as the Colonel came to the same conclusion.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 25 

Hannibal's eyes continued to sparkle, and Face's smile dimmed somewhat. The classic signs were there, Face knew them well. Hannibal was on the Jazz, that rush of emotions that created some of his most audacious plans, some of the most stunningly clever dangerous plans.

It was not enough that they'd got recorded evidence, oh no, now it looked like they would be going in through the front door to deliver the message in person. Hannibal wanted to drop Antonelli in it well and truly and to see the reaction of the man as he did it. Oh yes, Hannibal was on the Jazz all right!

Face reached over and took hold of Amy's hand, his head cocked to one side as he looked at her, his bright blue eyes smiling.

"Amy, my love, are you sure you want to come back? This man's on the Jazz and you know what that means!! We're all going in through the front door, to meet up with a heavily armed squad of primeval apes dedicated to their deranged and greedy master." She grinned at him and squeezed his hand, knowing that Face was on the Jazz too. Pulling Face onto the back seat with her, she wrapped his arms around her, so that she was leaning back against him, her eyes beginning to sparkle too.

"Let's go get them!"

Hannibal smirked at his Second–In-Command as the excitement coursed through his veins." I love it when a plan comes together"

Chapter 26 

Antonelli stuttered to his feet when the door of his office burst open and young Bobby-Joe sauntered in, accompanied by a huge be-jewelled muscle-man, a smirking white-haired man with an aura of authority, and a cackling man in a leather jacket. Each man held a machine gun and each took up positions around the room, sealing off any aspects of danger. Behind them, stood Cindy-Lou, now dressed more conservatively, and looking more beautiful than ever. Face watched as Antonelli stared at her, his gaze taking in the handgun that she had trained on the astounded man.

"She's good, isn't she," Face said proudly.

As Antonelli had leapt to his feet, he'd managed to press the hidden alarm button, placed strategically beneath the top of his desk and Face's admiration was interrupted by the thundering of approaching feet.

Hannibal looked over at the Team and rolled his eyes.

"Why do they always do this? Why can't they admit defeat? They must know they're going to lose!" he said, as they took up retaliatory positions.

Two men burst through the doors, brandishing handguns, only to make a swift retreat as bullets danced around their toes. Hannibal motioned to B.A. and Murdock and they took off after the hapless goons and caught and disposed of them. Within seconds, both men were rendered unconscious and relieved of their weapons. Inside the office, Hannibal was busy removing the gun from McTeague, a strong but obviously intellectually challenged man, who had the temerity to try to take Hannibal by surprise. Hannibal swiftly dealt with him and turned to help Amy, who steadily held her handgun trained on Antonelli.

Face spun round and landed a punch in the gut of the man who had tried to relieve him of his gun. He had acted out of instinct, they were a highly trained unit, able to fight and win in most circumstances. It sometimes became an act of instinct, the moves flowed and almost invariably the A-Team defeated the enemy. As Face landed a strategically placed kick, he recognised the man who was losing the fight to him. It was the lout who had molested Amy. At that moment, a tight ball of anger built up in Face and he took a sudden step backwards, causing the lunging man to fall to the ground in surprise. The man had thought that he could take Face, and all of a sudden he couldn't even reach him, let alone defeat him. As he lay on the floor, trying to make sense of what had happened, he felt a foot rest on his chest and the barrel of a machine gun poked in his nose.

Chapter 27 

Hannibal looked over at Face and saw the anger in his Lieutenant's eyes. Amy sensed s sudden change in the atmosphere of the room and looked over at Face as well. Her instincts were not as sharp as were Hannibal's and Antonelli sensed he had a chance. He lunged for her, his movement inhibited by Hannibal pushing the barrel of his machine gun against his chest. Without looking up, he addressed Face.

"Lieutenant?"

"It's him, Colonel, the one who hurt Amy."

Face's anger was palpable, vibrating in the air, the jocularity of their earlier exploits vanished. B.A. and Murdock had returned to the office and had immobilised Antonelli, by tying him to his own office chair. They had also gagged him, so that all he could do was to watch what was unfurling before him. Having dealt with those who had been under the mistaken image that they could defeat the A-Team, Hannibal and the others stood and watched as Face attempted to regain his emotions.

This was the man who had molested Amy, he had hurt the one person that Face loved more than life and he should pay for that. For several seconds, Hannibal came close to believing that Face could kill the man, so strong were his emotions.

Chapter 28 

It was only now that the A-Team truly realised the depth of Face's feelings for Amy. It was also now that they realised the strength of character that he possessed. Hannibal watched as Face reigned in his hatred for the man who had touched Amy in such a painful manner. He watched as Face came back from his anger and looked over at Amy. As their eyes met, Face and Amy shared a look of understanding, and a look of love and trust passed between them. During this interchange, none of the pressure on the man had been released and Face knew exactly what was going on with the idiot beneath his gun barrel.

Checking that Hannibal still had Antonelli under wraps, Amy moved over to stand beside Face. She looked down on the man, a slow grin growing over her face. She looked up at Face and grinned at him as well.

"Say thank-you to the nice man, Face"

Face looked confused, and the man let out a grunt of pain as Face moved the gun against him.

"I said, say thank-you Face! This is the nice man that pushed us out into the open!"

Amy looked over to Face, trying, without words to let him know that this blob on the floor was the cause of their emotions and love for each other being revealed. If it hadn't been for this man's actions, in all probability they would have denied their feelings. As it was, his groping had caused Face to understand his love for Amy. B.A. moved over to the Lieutenant and took his place. Face stood and looked at Amy.

"So what you're saying is that without him"

"Yes"

"We'd never have"

"Yeees"

"And we wouldn't be"

"Aha"

Understanding dawned across Face's handsome features and he reached down to shake the confused prisoner by the hand. Face moved and stood closely behind Amy, smiling at the poor man's consternation. The guy really had no idea that he'd been the catalyst for their relationship, and Face knew that despite his intense hatred of the man, that to brood on that hatred would do no-one any good and that he and Amy could move on.

He looked over towards Hannibal, who had understood what Amy had been trying to say, and who had also understood Face's reactions towards the man. This was what Hannibal had been afraid of, that Face would over-react when it came to Amy, after all the man was in love. The situation had arisen sooner than he had expected and the young Lieutenant had dealt with it admirably. Face understood that Amy could look after herself, but also stood ready to defend her if need be. They had proved to themselves and to him that they could function as a Team and could function as a couple. Hannibal beamed at them, his admiration evident for the rest of the Team to interpret and understand.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 29 

"Lieutenant, why don't you take young Cindy-Lou here, and wine and dine her in one of the classiest restaurants in town? I'm sure Mr. Antonelli would like to pay for you, " he said as he relieved Antonelli of his bulging wallet. "Lookee here, there's close to a thousand dollars here Face! Spend it wisely – " he stopped as Antonelli muttered under his breath, "Mr. Antonelli says he'd love for you to take the cash and enjoy yourselves. We'll meet up with you two later. Go, don't make me take it back now!"

Face stood next to a glowing Amy and took the money like a gentleman.

"Well if you insist sir, I'm sure that Cindy-Lou and I could force ourselves to make good use of this sir," he grinned, as they made a quick exit from the building.

Outside, and away from prying eyes, Face pulled Amy over to one side and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Thank-you Amy." He said simply.

She returned his gaze, reaching out to him and being wrapped in a tight hug.

"We can do this, you know, we can be together and be part of the A-Team. " she murmured into his neck.

"You know, I do believe you're right" he said, kissing the top of her head. "Now, how can we spend that lovely money?" he said, moving apart from her and rubbing his hands together gleefully.

Unseen by the couple, Hannibal watched them from the office window, a grin blazing across his features. As they moved away, he turned to the defeated and considerably poorer Antonelli. He sat slumped in his chair, misery written all over his face.

"Now, Mr. Antonelli, where's the safe then? I think you need to make a few deposits!" If it was at all possible, the man's demeanour fell even further.

B.A. and Hannibal left Antonelli and his goons tied to the front of their building with a sign attached to them. The sign read,

'Hello! We are bad people, we like robbing people, intimidating them and molesting innocent people. Please take us to the Police. The A-team captured us and we surrender."

B.A. ran the van back to the Allen house, looking forward to some more home cooking, his mouth watering at the thought of one of Daniel's specialities. Christine had the table ready and waiting, the Team's success having already been relayed by phone. Daniel and Christine met them at the door, congratulations and handshakes all round. Christine peered round them, looking for her daughter.

"They, er, went out for a while. I'm sure they'll be back soon. Really." Hannibal stuttered. "Soon" Christine raised an eyebrow, "Really". Christine folded her arms across her chest.

"He does love my baby, doesn't he?" she asked.

"Christine, you've got nothing to worry about. I get the feeling that Face would go to the ends of the world for Amy. He really does love her." Said Murdock, before Hannibal could reply. "He always has, whether he knew it or not. They've just got some catching up to do." He continued, as Hannibal shoved him in the side.

"What??!!" he asked indignantly.

"Maybe that's not exactly what Amy's mother needed to hear??" Hannibal said, with raised eyebrows. Murdock slowly cottoned on.

"Ah yes. Catch up. Lots of talking, sitting far apart from each other. On telephones. On different sides of the country. Continent. Globe" he gabbled. B.A. growled at him and Murdock continued in a small forlorn voice. "Er, Billy? Good dog. Got to go, Billy needs a walk" and Murdock fled.

Chapter 30 

Face drove the 'vette back to the Allen house later that night. They had eaten a quiet dinner and talked late into the night. Amy had never been so happy, had never felt so relaxed and content. As they pulled up, Face looked over at her and smiled softly.

"I love you Amy Allen."

She smiled back at him, her smile glowing and heartfelt.

" I love you too, Face." She sighed and leant back in the car seat. "I love you" she repeated, almost to herself. Face leant over and kissed her again, muttering under his breath. Amy opened one eye and looked askance at him.

"Please tell me that you didn't say what I think you just said"

"Oh but I did, sweetheart, I did!"

This time she opened both eyes and moved so that she was mere inches from him. The kiss that they shared was filled with promises of things to come, of wild adventures to be had and of a life of love and excitement. As they broke apart, Amy looked at him again, and together they uttered the immortal line,

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

So. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it and Keep Smiling!

C


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